


Miscommunication and Pancakes

by musicals_musicals



Series: Newsies Stuff [8]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: M/M, crutchie is a preschool teacher, jack and spot are brothers, jack gives relationship advice, oh my god I almost forgot to tag the kitten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 12:37:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15796689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicals_musicals/pseuds/musicals_musicals
Summary: Race and Spot have a fight so Race goes to Jack's apartment for advice and a place to sleep.





	Miscommunication and Pancakes

Race had lost track of the number of times he’d burst into Crutchie and Jack’s apartment at the middle of the night. They always gave good relationship advice and tended to be less condescending than Davey. Race came to them whenever he had a fight with Spot, or if he was feeling stressed, or when his parents called. Now it was three am again and he was feeling clueless and stressed. “I think I love him” Race opened the door having already texted Jack to make sure they were awake.

“Race, what do you need this time?” Jack asked. He was sitting on the couch with Crutchie in his lap fast asleep.

“I need to talk to you” Race quieted his voice and sat down on the floor in front of the couch.

Jack took in his untucked shirt and messed up hair “Spot?” It wasn’t the first time Race had showed up to complain about Spot and though Jack tried to look annoyed, Race was upset and clearly needed to talk. Also knowing Race, he would talk and Jack could just nod along “Fine, but be quiet” He brushed Crutchie’s hair out of his face and Race stuck out his tongue.

“You’re so…” Race groaned “Domestic”

“Aren’t you here to complain about you and Spot not being domestic?” Jack reminded him.

“Maybe” Race pouted. Jack was right. Race didn’t hate the thing he had with Spot but he wanted more. They started hooking up in college, they were roommates who hated each other. The university refused to let them switch rooms, so they made due. During one particularly heated argument over how messy Race’s room always looked they started kissing, which later led to other stuff. It was supposed to be nothing, a way to get out their frustrations and not decapitate each other over petty arguments. But even Race had to admit when they moved in together after college things changed. Instead of occasional argument-sex/make out sessions they leaned more towards kissing and cuddling on the couch. They were a couple in everything but words. “He’s just so frustrating!”

“Shh” Jack shushed Race when Crutchie stirred and mumbled something. “He had a big work evaluation, this is the first time he’s slept in three days”

“Oof” Race winced in sympathy. Crutchie worked with little kids. He loved his job, but the boss didn’t like him so whenever there was a work evaluation he had to work extra hard to not get fired. To make it worse Crutchie had a bad habit of not sleeping when stressed and Race definitely remembered him going weeks without sleeping more than four hours at once “I’ll be quieter” Race promised. Race didn’t want to bother them, but he needed to talk to someone and Jack was his go to. Jack just nodded and Race took it as cue to keep talking “I love him and I know that our whole arrangement is no feelings. But I need something, this in between..” Race took a deep breath and flopped back on the floor “I can’t live with this stupid- whatever! I either want a real relationship with ‘I love you’ and domestic shit like that” He gestured loosley at the couch “Or nothing. I’m going to move to Italy and never see him again”

“You couldn’t do that” Jack was absently stroking Crutchie’s short hair and nodding along to Race’s rant.

“That’s the worst part. I couldn’t leave him if I wanted to! That short little asshole is everything in my life and he doesn’t even love me like I love him” Race covered his face with his hands and kicked the bottom of the couch out of frustration.

“Race, this is a weird idea: what if you just talked to him?” Jack knew his foster brother well, and he understood his relationship with Race better that he wanted to thanks to multiple late night phone calls. Spot was definitely in love with Race, but emotions and talking had never been his strong suit.

“No,” Race shook his head and pulled his knees to his chest “I can’t lose him”

Jack was getting a headache “Race just go to sleep. You can stay here, we’ll talk tomorrow”

“Thanks Jack” Race yawned and stood up “Night”

Jack nodded and watched Race stumble his way into the spare bedroom. He accidentally shut the door a little too hard and Crutchie stirred “Wha?” He shifted and burrowed his face into the side of Jack’s neck “Wha’s hapning”

“Shh” Jack rocked back and forth a little “Race is spending the night”

“Mmmn” Crutchie shivered and pulled Jack closer.

“Bed?” Jack asked. He shook Crutchie lightly to keep him awake. Crutchie nodded and nestled closer. Jack picked Crutchie up and it was a testament to how tired he was that Crutchie didn’t push him away to try to walk. He stopped by the guest room where Race was fast asleep. Race and Spot needed to talk. Jack was tired of them showing up or calling him at three am to complain about each other

∞∞∞

_Ring! Ring!_

Spot groaned and fumbled with his phone on the bed side table and groaned when it fell to the floor. The light coming through the window told him it was technically morning, but he was still tired. Race left last night and Spot always had trouble sleeping when Race wasn’t there (Not that he would ever admit it) Race slept by attaching himself to the nearest person that gave off heat and the bed felt too empty when Race wasn’t next to him. He finally pulled the phone off the charger and answered it “Hello?”

“Spot get your ass over here” Jack demanded “You and Race are having breakfast with us”

“Jack what are you talking about?” Spot was too tired for this

“Race is here and you two are going to talk. Also if you aren’t here in 20 minutes I’m sending Albert to wake you up” Jack hung up and Spot stared at his phone. What? He got some weird phone calls from Jack, but this one was probably near the top of that list, right behind the one about the clown and the raccoon. Albert lived downstairs and Spot figured it wasn’t going to be a nice wake up call if Jack actually called him, so Spot reluctantly got out of bed. He threw on some clothes and started the walk to Jack and Crutchie’s apartment.

He finally got there and knocked on the door “Hello?”

Muffled sound came from inside “Race get the door” Crutchie directed from somewhere inside.

“Why? Who is it” That was Race.

“Do you want pancakes?”

Race swung open the door and froze when he saw Spot “Crutchie you little shit”

“Jack’s idea” Crutchie clarified

“Jack you little shit” Race corrected

“Are you okay?” Spot stepped closer. Race’s eyes were red and he looked like he’d gotten about as much sleep as Spot did.

“I’m fine” Race shut the door behind Spot and walked back into the kitchen. Jack was sitting at the table drinking coffee and Crutchie was at the stove, making pancakes.

“Why am I here?” Spot asked glaring at Jack “I was asleep”

“You and Race are going to talk. And I am going to eat pancakes” Jack explained.

Crutchie whacked the back of his head with the spatulas handle. “We want you to talk about your extremely destructive relationship that keeps waking us up at three am”

“In my defense it was only two am last time I called you” Spot argued

At the same time Race rolled his eyes “Jack was awake and I didn’t wake you up”

They froze and stared at each other. Race was unaware Spot had even thought about their relationship enough to call Jack. And Spot was wondering exactly where Race went when he disappeared and why he needed to talk to Jack. “You are in love with each other. Go talk” Jack pointed to the spare bedroom and Crutchie hit him with the spatula again. Spot stared at them and Race pulled him back to the spare room.

“I love you” Race decided to just let everything out “I know you don’t want a real relationship, but I really love you. Please don’t hate me”

“Tony…” The pet name gave Race hope, until Spot trailed off and lifted his hand to Race’s face. At first Race flinched away, but when he realized Spot wasn’t trying to hurt him he leaned closer and Spot rested his hand on the side of Race.

“I love you. I love you so much. I want to spend my whole life with you. I want to go and dates and act domestic, and maybe get a cat” Race had always wanted a cat.

“I love you too,” It wasn’t exactly what Spot meant to say, the words slipped out.

Race’s face broke into a huge smile “Really?”

“Yeah, I love you and we can definitely get a cat” Spot pulled Race closer and kissed his cheek.

“We should probably leave Jack and Crutchie alone” Race suggested “Home?”

Spot nodded and they walked back into the kitchen. “You good?” Jack asked through a mouthful of pancakes.

Race leaned closer to Spot and held his hand tightly “Yep”

“When’s the wedding?” Jack asked raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Spot rolled his eyes “We’re thinking a fall thing”

“Good,” Crutchie pointed at them with his spatula “Stop coming over at three am uninvited”

“Yes sir” Race saluted him and pulled Spot out the door.

“Now what?”

Race smirked “I have a few ideas”

∞∞∞

“Race this isn’t what I thought you meant when you said you had ideas” Spot complained.

“What did you think I meant?” Race asked innocently. He looked up from where he was playing with a cat. “You agreed to get a cat”

“Never mind” Spot crouched down next to Race and looked at the cat. According to the sheet the cat was named Squirrel and was four years old. Apparently she was super playful and active, but also loved to sleep in closets and drawers. She had bright blue eyes that looked exactly like Race’s and Spot thought she looked perfect.

Race clearly thought so too, he waved at one of the workers. “Can I hold her?”

“Of course” The worker unlocked the cage and handed the cat to Race.

Squirrel sniffed Race’s shoulder suspiciously before climbing up so she was standing on his shoulder. Spot held out his hand for her to sniff and she butted her head against it. “The cat is looking down on me” He observed.

Race laughed “You might want to get used to that. The sheet says she likes tall places especially trees” That explained the name. Race put on his best puppy dog eyes “Can we please adopt her?”

“You really think I’m going to say no when you have a cat on your shoulder?” Spot teased. He moved his attention from the cat and started petting Race’s hair instead. “Now we’ll have two of you”

Race rolled his eyes and coaxed Squirrel onto Spot’s shoulder “Pet the cat, I’m going to go do paperwork” He kissed Spots cheek “Love you”

“Love you too” Squirrel clearly objected to Spot not petting her and butted her head against his ear. Spot went back to petting her and watched Race sign the last paper.

“Ready Spotty?” Squirrel jumped from Spot’s shoulder and onto Race’s foot. Race jumped and fell over into Spot’s chest. Squirrel meowed and dug her claws into Race’s jeans.

“Going well?” Spot asked sarcastically.

Race smiled “Perfect”

**Author's Note:**

> Also on tumblr @musicals-musicals
> 
> Kudos and comments make my day!


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